ECU Police Release Photos Of Stadium Vandals

ECU police released new surveillance pictures Friday in hopes it will help nab two people they believe are responsible for vandalism in October at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. One person is already facing charges.

William Banks was arrested immediately after the vandalism. University police say he returned to the stadium in search of his cell phone. Banks was a student at the university, but officials say he is no longer enrolled.

In the video one of the men is wearing an ECU sweatshirt. Police say that is not Banks.

ECU police have been investigating the vandalism for three weeks. Officers say three people broke into the stadium over the weekend of October 20 and used Kubota utility vehicles to do donuts on the field, knock into drinking fountains and knock over trash cans. Trash was also strewn around the concession stands. The damage was estimated between $30,000 and $40,000.

Stadium officials say the damage should be repaired by Thanksgiving.

If you have information on who the men in the pictures are, call CrimeStoppers at 252-758-7777.

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A student charged in the weekend's vandalism at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium is no longer enrolled at East Carolina University.

William Banks was arrested Sunday by ECU police after they say he returned to the stadium in search of his cell phone.

Police say the 18-year-old Banks and several others used utility vehicles to do donuts on the field and to ram drinking fountains.

In a statement, ECU says it has completed its review and announced Wednesday that the Trenton man is no longer enrolled. ECU says Banks is also no longer living on campus.

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East Carolina University sports turf manager, Joey Perry, wasted no time trying to repair damage to the school's football field after vandalism Sunday morning, but it will take time before the field is back to 100% normal.

Police say ECU freshman William Banks and 2 others used the university's utility vehicles to do "donuts" on the field and break water fountains and knock over trash cans causing nearly 40 thousand dollars in damage.

Perry, has taken care of the pirate football field for 12 years, and says he's never had anything like this happen.

"I have some green sand and I can kind of fill in some spots that are the worst, obviously, I've over seeded the field and it's starting to pop up, but you know where they did the turn around and ruts- that seed will be gone," said Perry.

The drinking fountains have been replaced. Perry says the "donut" markings on the field will still be visible for the next two home games, but should be back to looking nearly perfect for the Thanksgiving game.

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Authorities say an ECU student returned to the scene of the crime to look for his cell phone when university police nabbed him for doing significant vandalism at the football stadium.

This time police were at Dowdy Ficklen Stadium investigating some $30,000 in damage to the facility.

ECU Police Lt. Chris Sutton tells WITN News that someone broke into the stadium over the weekend and used Kubota utility vehicles to do donuts on the field, knock into drinking fountains and knock over trash cans. Sutton says trash was also strewn around the concession stands.

William Banks has been charged in connection with the vandalism. The 18-year-old is facing breaking and entering, first degree trespass, injury to real property, and injury to personal property.

Sutton says Banks and two accomplices scaled the fence to get in. They are still looking for two others in the case.

Jail records show the teen from Trenton was arrested on Saturday on unrelated charges of possession of marijuana and failure to burn head lamps. Police say he bonded out on that charge, committed the vandalism at the stadium, and then tried to break into a vehicle nearby. Sutton says Banks admitted to that attempted B&E.

Ground crews spent the morning cleaning up the damage. ECU was away this past weekend, but plays a home game this Saturday against Navy.

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